Description Suffolk County Council - Endeavour House, Ipswich, Suffolk IP1 2BX / Hybrid £46,670 per annum (pro rata if part time) 37 hours per week, Flexible working options available Permanent Imagine a career where your ideas shape the future, your work directly impacts your community, and your growth is supported at every step. That's what we offer at Suffolk County Council. As our new SEND Professional Advisor, you'll be at the forefront of reimagining how local government can serve and improve lives. Join us, and let's reimagine the possibilities together. An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the Suffolk County Council (SCC), Progress and Quality Assurance Team, Quality, Engagement and Professional Development Service. Your role and responsibilities The SEND Family Services Team leads all aspects of our family-facing work and supports individual children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families throughout their SEND journey. This includes securing the right education offer to support their specific needs and ensuring regular and effective review of their progress, holding providers to account across the system for meeting the needs of individual children and young people. This team includes practitioners from a range of backgrounds to provide a wealth of knowledge and experience and to build strong working partnerships across the education, health, and care systems. You will: devise, review, manage and update processes and procedures for Family Services; ensuring that they reflect the current statutory guidance, and disseminate the processes and procedures throughout the local authority. act as an expert resource for children and young people’s Family Services, providing information, advice, guidance and support for young people, families and professionals support the delivery of the SEND quality assurance programme. provide advisory services on practical guidance and processes relating to SEND. monitor progress of audit cycles and implementation of action plans. provide support and guidance to internal and external stakeholders. line manage members of staff and support and oversee their professional development. What you will need You will need to have the highest standards, be able to deliver change quickly, and be willing to give your all. In return, you will have the satisfaction of being part of a strong and vibrant service that makes a real difference for children and young people every day. An understanding and/or experience of working within the processes and practice set out in the Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND Code of Practice 2015. A suitable professional qualification at graduate level or equivalent experience in a relevant area of work. You can view a full list of requirements in the Job and Person Profile (docx). If you believe you can succeed in this role, apply. Even if you don't meet all requirements, still apply. We would appreciate the opportunity to consider your application. The Team The SEND Progress and Quality Assurance Team lead on the development, review and delivery of frameworks and protocols not only within the service, but across Suffolk's education, health and social care providers to ensure children and young people with SEND are making expected progress and achieving the outcomes that will enable them to succeed in fulfilling their hopes and ambitions. This includes securing timely and comprehensive assessments that identify needs and the support required, alongside tracking the effectiveness of provision and placements by monitoring individual progress and outcomes achieved. Empowering Everyone We’re big believers in potential, possibility and the power of different ideas. We’re always searching for ways to encourage, respect and enable everyone to be the best they can be. We want to represent the diverse communities we serve. We welcome applications from all individuals, especially those from groups that are currently underrepresented in the organisation, as shown in our Workforce Equality Report (suffolk.gov.uk) For more information Please contact Stacy Baker for a casual conversation. You can reach them by calling 01473264725 or emailing stacy.bakersuffolk.gov.uk How to apply We value authentic applications that showcase your genuine skills and experiences. Applications suspected of being generated by AI may be rejected. We encourage you to present your own work and ideas throughout the application process. Step 1 - Read the Job and Person Profile (docx) Step 2 - Click ‘Apply Now’ to start your online application. Step 3 - Upload a supporting statement answering the following questions below (no more than 400 words per question). You should use the Supporting Statement template (docx). Describe a situation where you were successful in supporting someone to change their practice, or act on your advice. How did you make it work? Describe the benefits of cross-service, or multi-disciplinary working. Give an example, from your experience, of the impact of working in this way. Please can you give us an example of a time when you had to review and improve the quality of a piece of work. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced when starting a new job or working on a new project and how did you overcome them? What would you consider to be your greatest workplace achievement? Please note: Without a supporting statement, your interest will not be progressed. Any supporting documents must be in either PDF or MS Word format. If you would like an adjustment to this process due to a disability, please contact us at 0345614412 or recruitmentsuffolk.gov.uk Closing date: 11.30 pm, 11 December 2024. Interviews: 9/10 January 2025. Promoted as JOTW (Job of the Week) on Suffolk Jobs Direct. This authority is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment. DBS (Disclosure and Barring Service) checks or police vetting will be required for relevant posts. LI-Hybrid